Chandigarh, Feb 28: The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is strengthening India’s higher education and skilling ecosystem through the expansion of its flagship Centre for Future Skills (CFS) initiative — a campus-based, technology-integrated model designed to embed advanced technical training, global certifications, and hands-on project learning directly into mainstream degree programmes. Conceived as a long-term national intervention, the initiative aims to impact one million students over the next decade by aligning academic pathways with globally benchmarked industry standards and emerging technology demands.
The Centre for Future Skills model has already been operationalised across multiple institutions nationwide, with training activities actively underway at each location. The initiative has begun creating tangible impact by equipping students with industry-aligned competencies embedded within their academic journey.
Speaking on the initiative, Shri Arunkumar Pillai, CEO, NSDC, said, “The Centre for Future Skills marks a structural shift in how India prepares its youth for the future economy. It is already demonstrating impact at scale with its 12 operational institutions and over 43,000 trained candidates. Over the next three years, we aim to add 22 more centres nationwide. With the integration of global certifications and hands-on learning within degrees, we are ensuring graduates enter the workforce industry-ready and globally benchmarked.”
The inauguration of a new Centre at the Federal Institute of Science and Technology (FISAT), Kochi, marks another step in this national rollout, reinforcing the broader vision of institutional transformation.
The Centre for Future Skills operates as an on-campus hub that integrates academic credit pathways, industry-recognised certifications, expert mentorship, and state-of-the-art laboratory infrastructure. Students earn two to three academic credits per semester alongside globally recognised certifications without extending the duration of their degree, enabling a dual outcome — a university qualification coupled with validated employability credentials. The model ensures that structured skill pathways are woven into the academic journey itself.
Through partnerships with leading global technology companies, CFS provides access to over 200 certification programmes across high-growth domains. These certifications are delivered at significantly subsidised costs compared to prevailing market rates, expanding access to world-class, industry-relevant technical education. Students who successfully complete assessments receive globally recognised credentials that enhance mobility across both domestic and international job markets.
A defining feature of the CFS framework is its structured, multi-semester skill pathways that progressively build technical competence aligned with industry demand. For example, under the Software Engineering track, learners advance from programming foundations to full-stack development, cloud deployment, and software engineering practices. By graduation, students may earn four to six global certifications while building strong project portfolios and gaining hands-on experience in cloud, DevOps, and application development environments. Importantly, pathways are structured for both technical and non-technical learners, enabling interdisciplinary participation in emerging technology areas.
The infrastructure-led approach under CFS further reinforces its impact. NSDC establishes advanced hardware and software laboratories within partner institutions. Each certification course runs for 45 to 50 hours per semester and is delivered in physical mode through lab sessions, projects, and rigorous assessments, ensuring quality and practical immersion. At FISAT, the Centre is projected to enrol approximately 3,500 students per semester, or 7,000 students annually, reflecting the scalable and large-scale nature of the initiative.
At a systemic level, the Centre for Future Skills introduces what NSDC describes as a “Global Certification Stack,” effectively internationalising Indian talent. By embedding globally benchmarked certifications within degrees, the initiative enhances signalling power in the labour market, reduces industry training burdens through validated skill credentials, and strengthens India’s positioning within global talent supply chains. The degree, under this model, evolves from being a knowledge credential to becoming a productivity indicator aligned with future industry needs.
As India accelerates its transition towards a knowledge and innovation-led economy, the expansion of the Centre for Future Skills signals a decisive move to embed employability, technology readiness, and global competitiveness within the country’s higher education architecture.